SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. (KGUN) — “We did all right last year, but we're going to do even better this year,” said Buena High School football player, Cooper Krous.
The high school football season officially starts next week and the Buena Colts are hoping the extra work they put in over the summer will lead to more wins.
We broke a record, (starting the season) 5-0, from the '70s, but I feel like this year, we want to come back and do way better than that,” said wide receiver Jayden Thomas.
The core of last year’s 7-4 team returns, after their season ended in the first round of last year’s 5A Conference playoffs, to Desert Edge.
"We can't just, like, expect to beat those teams. we actually work for it,” said Buena lineman, Shawn Bookman.
Which is what they did over the summer. Senior quarterback, Nash Moore, says the team is using the loss as motivation, so they can win the school’s first regional title since the 1970s.
"We know what it's like, and we don't ever want to feel that feeling again," he said. "We're going to come back stronger and come back better. Everybody's going to be more committed.”
They're committed to winning and playing as a team. Which is a bit easier for them since most of the players have played together since they were youth leagues.
“That chemistry is almost unbreakable so I think that’s going to play a really big role for us,” said Latavis Walker.
But, before they can think about the playoffs, they have 10 regular season games to play. Their first is Aug. 30 at Betty H. Fairfax. Buena player, Trenton Willimas, say the game he has circled is when the team plays against Marana. The team that snapped their 5 and oh record.
"Beat Marana because you know that that game, I feel like, was the game that hit us the hardest," he said. "It drug us down a little bit and like we need to come back and we need to show them like what we really are about.”
The Colts first home game of the season is Sept. 6 against Ironwood Ridge.
——-
Alexis Ramanjulu is a reporter in Cochise County for KGUN 9. She began her journalism career reporting for the Herald/Review in Sierra Vista, which she also calls home. Share your story ideas with Alexis by emailing alexis.ramanjulu@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook.
